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Mardi Gras 2020 specials ready to roll at suburban restaurants

Can you believe it's almost time for Mardi Gras? After all the cold, gray weather we've endured this winter, feting Fat Tuesday on Feb. 25 is certainly a welcome respite. And suburban restaurants are ready to celebrate with indulgent food, drinks and Mardi Gras specials leading up to the fasting of Ash Wednesday and the 40 days of Lent observed by Catholics.

Check out what some suburban restaurants are offering for Fat Tuesday as well as meatless specials on Fridays running through April 10.

Bluegrass

1636 Old Deerfield Road, Highland Park, (847) 831-0595, bluegrasshp.com/

Celebrate Mardi Gras early during Bluegrass' live crawfish boil starting at noon Sunday, Feb. 23. Sip on libations from 18th Street Brewing and Maverick Wines while dining on a smoked whole alligator. It's $60 per person. Reservations requested.

Passion Fruit Caipirinhas are $5 during Carnival at Texas de Brazil. Courtesy of Texas de Brazil

Bub City

Parkway Bank Park, 5441 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 261-0399, bub-city.com/rosemont/

On Fridays during Lent, Bub City will be offering a french fried shrimp basket that includes battered shrimp, french fries, horseradish marmalade, cocktail sauce and tartar sauce.

Burnham's Restaurant

1401 Nordic Road, Itasca, (630) 694-5899, eaglewoodresort.com/

Throughout Lent, Burnham's is serving up a weekly Friday fish fry starting at 5 p.m. Chow down on all-you-can-eat perch fillets plus a house salad, a cup of soup, mixed veggies and a potato (french fries or homemade potato cakes) for $16.95. Or order the tempura cod loins for $13.95 or taco walleye for $14.95. The special Friday dinners run through April 10.

Hey Nonny

10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights, (224) 202-0750, heynonny.com/

Hey Nonny's kitchen will be cooking up a storm for Fat Tuesday. Dine on specials such as classic gumbo, Cajun crabcakes, braised escarole, shrimp po'boy, Louisiana barbecue ribs, shrimp and grits, cornbread muffins and, for dessert, bananas Foster. Don't forget the drinks, too: Hurricanes are $10 and Fireball shots are $3. Plus, J-Livi & The Party will be playing Tuesday night, too.

Lynfred Winery

15 S. Roselle Road, Roselle, (630) 529-9463, lynfredwinery.com/

For Mardi Gras, winemakers Andres Basso and Rodrigo Gonzalez will be pulling special wines from the cellar's barrels for the Fat Tuesday Barrel Tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Chef Celeste Pasag will craft some Cajun nibbles such as shrimp and grits, jambalaya with chicken and andouille sausage, muffuletta, Louisiana hot wings and maple bacon turtle for dessert. The tasting is $50 per person. Buy tickets at wineweb.com/.

L. Woods will be hosting a Wisconsin Fish Fry every Friday during Lent. Courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises

L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge

7110 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood, (847) 677-3350, lwoodsrestaurant.com/

Perfect for Lent, L. Woods will be hosting a Wisconsin Fish Fry every Friday starting Feb. 28 and running through April 10.

Dine on lake perch and salt and vinegar fries with a side of housemade tartar sauce.

Osteria Trulli chef/owner Giovanni DeNigris will be cooking up seafood-centric dishes for Lent. Courtesy of Osteria Trulli

Osteria Trulli

1510 E. Hintz Road, Arlington Heights, (224) 347-1010, osteriatrulli.com/web/

Osteria Trulli chef/owner Giovanni DeNigris draws from his native Puglia, Italy, for the restaurant's seafood- and pasta-centric menu, which is perfect for Lent. Some meatless dishes to try on Fridays through April 10 include vongole gratinate (baked clams) for $16, spaghetti Adriatico (studded with fresh clams, shrimp, calamari and mussels) for $29, whole roasted branzino (market price) and grigliata (grilled octopus, cuttlefish, calamari and prawns in a spicy tomato sauce) for $28.

The Cajun shrimp appetizer will be available at dinner on Fridays during Lent at Pennyville Station in Park Ridge. Courtesy of Amy Roesch

Pennyville Station

112 Main St., Park Ridge, (847) 720-4841, pennyvillestation.com/

Executive chef Jose Alvarez will be crafting Friday Lent specials at lunch featuring the ahi tuna sandwich ($17) and Cajun shrimp salad ($14). Dinner specials include the Cajun shrimp app ($14), sesame-crusted ahi tuna app ($15) and Lake Superior white fish entree that's pan-seared over sweet pea risotto ($22).

Shaw's Schaumburg will be plating fried calamari for Mardi Gras and on Fridays during Lent. Courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises

Shaw's Crab House Schaumburg

1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 517-2722 or shawscrabhouse.com/

Mardi Gras: Fete Fat Tuesday with the all-day happy hour in the Oyster Bar featuring half off select oysters, fried calamari, signature cocktails, house wines and draft beers. Seating in the Oyster Bar is first come, first served.

Lent: On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26, and from Friday, Feb. 28, through Friday, April 10, take advantage of the fish fry pre-fixe menu featuring three styles of fish fry: East Coast (New England fried clams, fried East Coast oysters, french fries, coleslaw, and cocktail and tartar sauces), Great Lakes (fried Lake Michigan white fish and Lake Erie perch, coleslaw and tartar sauce) and Shaw's (fried calamari, beer-battered Alaskan cod, fried shrimp, french fries, coleslaw, and cocktail and tartar sauces). Also included in the $25 price is a cup of New England-style clam chowder or seafood gumbo and a mini slice of housemade Key lime pie.

Skeleton Key

8102 Lemont Road, Suite 300, Woodridge, (630) 395-9033, skeletonkeybrewery.com/

For Mardi Gras Tuesday, expect lots of beads, a Hurricane cocktail-inspired beer, mini paczkis on the bar (while they last), zydeco and jazz. Bull & Balance will be at Skeleton Key at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, serving up beef po'boys, a bourbon meatball plate, shrimp étouffée and bread pudding.

Paczkis will be available at Stan's Donuts Feb. 21-25. Courtesy of Stan's Donuts

Stan's Donuts

529 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 590-1060; 5 Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, (224) 353-6092; and locations in Chicago. stansdonuts.com/

Indulge your sweet tooth Friday through Tuesday, Feb. 21-25, with Stan's filled paczkis. This pre-Lenten Polish tradition features treats filled with vanilla or chocolate pastry cream, cannoli cream or cherry. They're $2.99 each, $16.99 for a half-dozen and $32.99 for a dozen.

Texas de Brazil's Brazilian Limeade is $12 a pitcher during Carnival. Courtesy of Texas de Brazil

Texas de Brazil

5 Woodfield Mall, Suite D312, Schaumburg, (847) 413-1600, texasdebrazil.com/locations/schaumburg/

Texas de Brazil celebrates Carnival from Friday, Feb. 21, through Saturday, Feb. 29, with Passion Fruit Caipirinhas for $5 and Brazilian Limeade (flavors include lime, coconut, mango and more) for $3 by the glass and $12 by the pitcher.

Tokio Asian Fusion

1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 278-5181 or tokioasianfusion.com/

Mardi Gras: Take advantage of the all-day happi hour on Fat Tuesday, featuring half-off pot stickers, select hand-rolled maki, beer, cocktails and more.

Lent: Starting Friday, Feb. 28, and running Fridays through April 10, the restaurant will be plating special seafood dishes, including Baja fish tacos, shrimp tempura maki, salmon burger and more.

Tokio Asian Fusion with be plating seafood specials, including the salmon burger, during Lent. Courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises

Village Squire

4818 Northwest Hwy., Crystal Lake, (815) 455-4130, and 4512 W. Elm St., McHenry, (815) 385-0900, thevillagesquire.com/

Celebrate Mardi Gras now through Tuesday, Feb. 25, with specialty cocktails such as the Bourbon Street Rum Punch or Hurricane while dining on Voo Doo shrimp, homemade hush puppies, fried shrimp po'boy, fried chicken po'boy, jambalaya and blackened catfish. Return on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26, for crispy beer-battered cod or Grecian-style salmon.

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